The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-25
DISCRIMINATION IN RATES
What Railroad Agents and Stock Deal
ers Say About Recent Complaints.
How Chicago is Favored in Rates for Ship
ment of Cattle From Kansas City-Ad-
vantages Of indianapolis as Market.

Before j. S. Dorsey. the Kansas City cattle
shipper. left for home his complaint concerning
discrimination against Indianapolis in favor of
Chicago on cattle was righted. It is said at the
general freight Office of the L. D. & S. railway,
over which route his shipments of cattle were
made. that he paid the $SS5O-rate per carload
from Kansas City. while shippers to Chicago
were paying only $65 from the
point. "But." continued the as
sistant general freight agent sat the
time Mr.. Dorsey made his complaint adjust
ment of the discrepancy being considered,
and he knew before he left the city that here
after he would have to pay only the Chicago
rate. He expressed satisfaction at this and also
showed preference for the Indianapolis market,
with which he is we'll pleased on his first vent
He did not hold tenaciously to the return
ticket for his man who has charge Of his ship
ments route. None of the roads giving
these tickets. and with this exception the Indian
apolis cattle rate from Kansas City is the same
that of Chicago But the roads of the latter
city have an advantage. Notwithstanding the
fact the distance between Indianapolis and the
Western point is much shorter than from Kan
sas City to Chicago. The Chicago roads have
either direct lines to Kansas City control the
connecting roads. They make what rate
they please in favor of their city, Independent Of
any Western connections When that is done
all we do ID to meet it and that has been
done in this instance"
At the l. & St L. and the Vandalia Offices. the
information to be had as to Determinations in
this particular was meagre In fact. the Dorsey
incident was regarded as exceptional, but it was
urged that Chicago had the best Of it in Kansas
City shipments, solely on account of her
Meeting railroads to that point being under the
control of Chicago management Oscar Sever
ance the travelling representative of the Indian
apolis stock-yards explained the situation more
clearly than any one else who was approached
on the questions: II know very little of what the
cattle and hog sales are, how they
from Kansas City," he said. "out the
Chicago 81 Alton having a direct line there that
gives it control of the shipments The Rock
Island gets q large proportion of the Kansas City
cattle, but the frst-named road and the Illinois
Central have the bulk of the trade and fix the
rate. OF course. these two roads favor Chicago
and in doing SO give return tickets to shippers,
as do all the other roads leading west from that
city. From points east of the Mississippi ship
pers to Indianapolis are not disturbed by dis
eliminating rates. In her own territory she holds
her own, and from competing points gets a large
share of the shipments of cattle and hogs. No
road out of here gives return tickets. 1t ought
to be done. SO as to put us on an equal footing
with Chicago Before the interstate law went
into effect the Wabash took great deal of cattle
to East ST. Louis, and the shippers could get
almost any kind of Chicago. good
deal or Western stock still goes there ana lDd1-
annapolis is able to have some of it. but I said
before, the Chicago & Alton practically controls
the shipments from Kansas City. However. it
the shippers of that place make effort to
bring their cattle bore, think they will be able
to secure rates as favorable as those they now
have to Chicago"
How does the Indianapolis cattle market
compare with that of Chicago!"
Our market is increasing. The receipts both
OF cattle and hogs ahead of those OF last
year We have a hog market that averages
IA IN in cat w an do as wei
if not better, than Chicago. / do not why
we should not have the leading cattle market of
the country. For the Western cattle
have good routes from Kansas City either to
Hannibal and then down to Decatur and here
over the l., d. g. s., the Chicago s.
Alton to Bloomington and thence here via the
l.. B. & W., OF over the Wabash, l. & ST. L. or
Vandalia Indianapolis. too ought to have a
large share OF Texas cattle. 1t can be brought
Texas, St Louis e. Arkansas and thence hero by
the Y. & c. and l. & v roads"
One thing that operates against this market
is said to be tho slowness with which cattle
trains on some OF the roads move into this oty.
Shippers complain about it and prefer the Chi
cago roads because they move cattle faster. A
shipper who has been going to Chicago with
his cattle tries Indianapolis three four times
and then quits because his cattle are moved
slowly When he returns TO his first
other shippers with him. Otherwise. everyone
is pleased with the Indianapolis market and
recognize its superior advantages, but withal
there is a class of discrimination which, if done
away with. would naturally aid in increasing
the cattle receipts. For distance of 500 miles
to Buffalo a $26 can be had, while for
the distance to this city $25 per
charged, which shippers claim to be unreasona-
BILE.
At the stock-yards an important Improvement
has been made in adding to the hog sheds.
About seventy additional pens have been built,
snd with such arrangements greatly facili-
tate the business of sorting and reshpping. The
pens for this purpose are built as to allow
to quickly do the work which has been required
of or more heretofore. The yards. it is
claimed. are now equal to those of Cincinnati OF
Chicago. The capacity of the yards is
larged that all the stock shipped here can be
handled without difficulty.